Church of St. Francis Xavier: Sunday Service

“The music of this church is always of a very high order of merit. The choir is select and well trained, and the organist, William Berge stands at the head of his profession in his intimate knowledge of the music of the Catholic Church and his skill in the direction of a body of singers. Yesterday his Third Mass, a very elaborate, well conceived and brilliant composition, was sung. The solos were rendered by Misses Teresa and Mary Werneke and Messrs. Tamaro and Bacelli. The characteristic of Berge’s Church music is its eminent fitness for the subjects it illustrates. The sublime words of the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei are expressed by music so admirably that it may be called dramatic in the proper sense of the word. We are surprised that the worthy fathers of this church persist in keeping the antiquated Gregorian chant for vesper service. It never was intended for mixed voice, and is suitable only for monastic institutions. Religious music should be capable of expressing every variety of emotion, joy, fear, hope, sorrow, but the Gregorian chant certainly can never accomplish this desirable end.”